Always Hoping
by yin13147
Summary: AU. Sequel to 'The Horoscope Never Lies' by pandacchii. Midorima could only watch as his love drifted further from him. Soon, he started to give up on Kuroko. And then one day, the horoscope gives him yet another surprise. MidoKuro, well sort of.


**A/N: So, to whoever will read this, must read 'The Horoscope Never Lies' first, since this is a sequel to that fic. I asked permission from _pandacchii_ to write this, and she agreed. Now that you know this, I'm sure that I'm safe now of accusations. **

**Disclaimer: Kuroko no Basket will never be mine.**

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Midorima always thought that the reactions people made in romantic dramas when they would have their hearts broken are over exaggerated. Every time he'd watch their faces go all soppy and red, he would sigh at how stupid they look, even if it's just acting.

He would always think to why people would do crazy things like cry like a baby or go into a state of deep depression whenever they would be rejected by the ones they're in love with. He believed that it's utterly stupid, pointless, and embarrassing.

But now, he realized that all kinds of actions that are results of heartbreak may be childish, but it isn't pointless. Rather, it's reasonable. Because... a few days ago, he had his heart broken when he saw Kuroko, the one who he unconsciously fell in love with, get kissed by Aomine, his tanned teammate. And he reacted by shedding tears - like many others would.

For the rest of that day, he stayed in the house, in his room, completely silent and stationary. That was the first day when he would not practice his shots, and for him to do that is just so not like him. But he didn't care about that, since he was too upset to even think about it.

The days after that were fine. He didn't forget to practice his shooting, nor did he forget to finish his assignments or bring his lucky items with him. He was doing fine as always, but he knows that there's a huge difference with the way he's acting now and the way he acts before. Even if it doesn't seem very noticeable in the eyes of others, he can notice it himself.

Even if he still does everything in his power everyday, he feels empty inside. He feels blank, hollow. But he puts up the best mask he has to hide this emotion even from the perceptive Akashi himself.

Luckily, no one talks to him about anything unusual. He's relieved at this, but it doesn't help that much. He may be doing fine on the outside, but on the inside he's in a huge turmoil with his feelings for Kuroko. No matter how many times he tries to move on and forget his feelings from the bluenette, his attempts would fail and he would remain in love with the teen.

A part of him can't stand the feeling of being in the bluenette's presence when the latter is already with Aomine. Whenever he would see the two give affectionate glances at each other, he would feel his stomach twist in jealousy and grief.

But he doesn't let it show on his face, because he doesn't want to cause any conflicts. He stays quiet and acts like his usual self, and no one bothers him or anything. He still has the same not-so-close friendship with Kuroko, who doesn't seem to take notice of the sadness he's feeling in the inside.

This lasted throughout the whole second year and Midorima swore that he had never been so pained from the feeling of unrequited love before. After months of watching his love in the arms of someone else, he made a decision that he's sure would be the best for him.

He decided to give up on any hope of him and Kuroko every being together; on any hope that his feelings would be returned. He decided to lock his feelings away so that he would be able to forget that he is in love with the bluenette. Then he wouldn't have to keep on suffering like this. It would just be like back then, when he still was not in love with Kuroko.

Soon enough, it started to work. During for the first few months of third year, he no longer felt that heartache he would always feel when he was still in second year. Even when he would see Kuroko and Aomine together, there was no longer that painful feeling in his gut. He felt relief from this. And soon enough, he thought, this will all be over.

By the time any feelings he has left for the teen disappear, everything will be completely back to normal.

One day, Oha-Asa said that all Cancers will get a very big shock today. It didn't specify what kind of shock exactly, yet the message still puzzled him. He reassured himself that anything is better than bad luck. Although there was another thing that puzzled him - today's lucky item is a vanilla shake.

His lips twitched into a confused frown. Funny, it felt like deja-vu. For a moment, he wondered why. But he couldn't put a finger to it, so he set it aside and prepared himself for school. He made sure that he's perfectly groomed and clean, and after knowing with full certainty that everything is set he left the house and walked a fairly long distance to school. He reminded himself to buy a vanilla shake in the school cafeteria when he gets there.

Classes went by just fine. Nothing extraordinary happened. During snack time or lunch time, nothing happened either. He started to wonder if there's something faulty with the horoscope today. But since he did not run into any bad luck today, he decided that it's no big deal.

Since classes already ended, he quickly went to practice. He headed for the gym, dressed in his training attire consisting of a plain green shirt and gray shorts. His fingers are bandaged and his right hand held his lucky item. He remained careful about keeping his lucky items in top condition, hence he had it placed in the refrigerator in the cooking lab for an hour or two to keep it cool.

Today, the gym was empty. And it's unusual. Midorima correctly guessed why the others are not there yet. Akashi might be taking care of very important matters. Murasakibara went home to do his homework to keep himself from falling behind. Kise is out there doing a photoshoot. Aomine doesn't even go to practice anymore. And Kuroko...

Kuroko might have been just late, he thought. Not intending to think about the bluenette any longer, he quickly started to practice. All of his shots went in smoothly, and he felt satisfied. Before he could make another, a calm voice devoid of any emotion interrupted him.

"Midorima-kun..."

Out of surprise, he released his hold of the ball earlier than he should. It still went in smoothly, but he didn't pay attention to that. He looked at the bluenette with a sharp gaze for a while. He noticed something off. Kuroko looked at him as well, with that same unreadable expression, but his eyes.

His eyes seemed... teary.

But Midorima didn't want to pay attention to that. Kuroko isn't the type to show tears. He might have just been seeing things. He continued his shots, but Kuroko interrupted him for the second time.

"Umm... Midorima-kun, is it okay if I can talk to you for a second?"

Again, the ball that he released a bit too early still went in with completely accuracy. But this time, Midorima decided to comply through a nod, saying no words at all to the blue-haired teen. Kuroko sighed quietly and walked closer to him, his feet making small tapping sounds on the floor. Midorima placed the balls back in the metal basket, and he looked back at Kuroko who looked like he had something to tell him.

For some reason, he looked troubled. It's not that easy to catch because he would always look deadpan and emotionless, but Midorima can notice that as his eyes scanned at Kuroko. The latter stayed silent but his lips kept on twitching; he really wanted to say something to the green-haired teen. But his throat would always close up whenever he would finally muster up the courage to speak the words.

So, minutes passed and neither said anything to the other. The silence was very overwhelming, but none of the two lost their patience at the incredibly long absence of sound. Midorima could already hear the loud ringing one would hear when there's no other sound around him. It was also the same for Kuroko.

Until such time, Kuroko finally let the words slipped out his tongue, even if it was in a small whisper.

"I broke up with Aomine-kun."

There's that long silence again. But this time, it's far more awkward than the first. Midorima couldn't stop himself from frowning at the sudden words that Kuroko said. That definitely took him by surprise, and out of all the things that he thought the bluenette would say to him, that was the one thing he did not expect Kuroko to say.

But that wasn't the only reason why he frowned. So what if Kuroko broke up with Aomine? It doesn't involve him, he thought. And why would Kuroko even say this to him, if he never made it obvious that he knows about their relationship? He remained confused, and it slightly showed in his features.

After another painstakingly long silence, Kuroko broke the silence once more. But he didn't do it with words. He did it with a tear running down his cheek, and he gasped when he felt the cool drop fall down his cheek. He reached out his hand to brush the tear away, but more fell down and he wiped off some more, until when his fingers are already soaked from the tears he shed.

Midorima felt like this was deja-vu again. And after a few seconds of thinking why, it was because he did the same thing himself almost a year ago - when he saw Aomine kiss Kuroko and he had his heart shattered into pieces at that very moment. And now, Kuroko just had his heart broken by the one he loved.

Oh, the irony. He thought to himself bitterly about this moment. He had his heart broken because of Kuroko, and now Kuroko had his own broken by Aomine.

Shouldn't he feel satisfied that the bluenette knows now what it's like for your love to be doomed? Right now, he should have been thinking to his mind 'It serves you right.' But instead of that, he felt guilty as he stayed there, standing and just watching the other teen shed more tears formed from heartbreak.

"I'm sorry to trouble you like this." Kuroko apologized as quietly as he could. Even though he shed a lot of tears, the tone of his voice didn't change. "I didn't want to tell anyone, actually. But..." His voice started to quiver with sadness. "It's too painful to keep to myself, unlike all the other things I have gone through." he finished. He got no response but he didn't mind. It wasn't like he expected Midorima to suddenly grab his shoulders and tell him that it will all be okay.

Midorima felt guilty for doing nothing while Kuroko continued to let his grief take over his expression and his actions. As he watched Kuroko cry some more, he realized that his feelings - which he desperately tried to forget - have resurfaced. He didn't know why; it just did. It made him feel all the more guilty. Why would it happen now, when Kuroko is currently in tears? When Kuroko is suffering?

He bit his lip, frustrated with himself. He grew more guilty by the minute, but he still didn't do anything to help his heartbroken friend.

And then, without even thinking, he pulled Kuroko closer to himself and wrapped his arms around the blue-haired teen tightly. Kuroko gasped as he suddenly couldn't breath, along with his eyes suddenly ceasing to shed more tears. Both were speechless but Midorima didn't let go of him, and kept him like that. He felt like if he let go, it would all be over and the thought of that made him afraid.

"_Sorry. Sorry._" Midorima kept on thinking, but would never let out his throat. He couldn't voice his thoughts to Kuroko, who felt so small, so fragile in his arms. He didn't know if he liked that feeling or not, but nonetheless, a part of him refused to let go.

For the third time, another long quietness took over the air around the two of them. And this time, neither felt irritated at the absence of noise. The moment was kind of awkward for them to speak, anyway. Kuroko stayed frozen, dumbfounded by what just happened. He could only blink once or twice, but he couldn't make any words out.

Midorima still didn't let go of him, and kept him there, in that embrace. He felt all his emotions pouring out from that simple embrace, but he wished that Kuroko wouldn't notice it. If he tried making his feelings known now to the bluenette, it would just mean that he's taking advantage of the teen and he wouldn't be able to forgive himself for that.

"Umm..." Kuroko finally said after recovering from his shocked state. "Midorima-kun, please let me go. I... I can't breathe..." And finally, the latter obliged, but it was only because Kuroko said so. He slowly loosened the hold of his arms around the bluenette, and he put a distance between them as he didn't want Kuroko to hear how loud his heart was beating.

He could feel the powerful thumps reaching up to his ears, and they stood there, just like a while ago. Midorima couldn't help it now; no matter what he would do, he would still be in love with the bluenette even if it would give him pain. But he can't confess. He can't say it. He just can't.

Although, he's sure that he can do something to help Kuroko, even if it's just a little.

Then he remembered - his lucky item. A vanilla shake. Something that Kuroko loves. Yes, that would calm him down, even just a little. But giving away his lucky item... was he an idiot to do that? That would make bad luck go his away, and he is never fond of that. But... what's the need to be so selfish now? It was for the sake of helping Kuroko, not for a stupid reason.

He looked at the bench where the lucky item is, and his feet slowly started to go there. Kuroko's eyes followed him in wonder to what was he doing, then he knitted his eyebrows together when Midorima walked to him. He noticed the green-haired teen holding a plastic cup of vanilla shake, and he felt a bit lightened up.

"Here." Midorima said quickly as he handed the shake over to the other teen. Kuroko hesitated to take it, but he did anyway. Popping the cap with a straw that came with the shake, he took very small sips. When the sweet taste of vanilla danced around his tongue, he let a small smile cross his lips. His current expression contradicted with the one from earlier, but he found it nice. Midorima did something nice for him, and he deeply appreciated it.

"Thank you." he whispered after taking another sip. The taller teen heard it very clearly, and he quickly felt like his face was burning. Seeing Kuroko smile and then hearing him say 'thank you' so earnestly made his heart flutter.

"It's nothing, really." he replied, trying to hide his blushing face. "I wanted you to stop crying." _Because it hurts me to watch you do so_, he finished in his mind. Kuroko just kept on smiling. It's small and almost-absent, but he was really smiling. It took the other's breath away, and Midorima continued to watch his expression like that. He felt enlightened at the sight.

A while later, Kuroko paused sipping and looked down on the floor. "Sorry about a while ago." he mumbled, the sound of his voice monotone again. "I guess it would confuse you that I'm going out with Aomine-kun, who is a man. You might think that it's disturbing." Midorima wasn't given enough room to speak up. Kuroko kept on speaking his thoughts. "I appreciate you giving me this. I might be taking too much of your time, so I'll be going now."

He turned his back and walked towards the door. He wasn't even halfway there, but a hand grabbed his shoulder so firmly that he immediately stopped his legs from moving any further.

"You're not taking up any of my time." He paused, thinking about what to say next. He knows he can't confess. But he doesn't want the bluenette to leave either. "And it's fine with me if you still wish to talk." he added in a composed tone. If he showed any other emotion aside from calmness, Kuroko would notice right away and it would slowly become obvious that he's in love with Kuroko - and that will send everything to chaos.

Good for him, Kuroko didn't notice anything unusual and just took it as a friendly act. He felt glad that even though Midorima gets along with him the least and vice-versa, the green-haired teen can still be concerned about him once and a while, and it's a good feeling to know that.

"I'm really thankful, Midorima-kun." he stated, smiling once more. "Okay, I'll stay here. I really need to talk to someone, even if it's better if I don't." he admitted, his smile turning into a solemn frown.

Midorima felt his heart clench at what Kuroko said. He was completely okay if Kuroko can talk to him. Kuroko can talk as long as he likes, as long as he can be with the teen. If no one else, then he can be the one who would listen to anything the blue-haired teen has to say. But... the fact that Kuroko decided to stay made him a bit happy.

They walked to a bench and sat beside each other, but Midorima made sure not too close to Kuroko. If he was, his heart would start beating mad nonstop and he didn't need that now. His ears were open to whatever Kuroko had to explain to him, even if his heart might not take it. But he wanted to be confided in by Kuroko, since it would give him assurance that he could have a better friendship with the bluenette.

Of course, the latter didn't start right away. He had to think about where to start, and Midorima understood. After a minute, the latter started to narrate everything.

The green-haired teen remembered the important things. So for a long while, Kuroko and Aomine were doing fine. But lately, ever since Aomine's personality took a 180, the relationship between the two started to become more strained until Kuroko couldn't take it anymore. He calmly confronted Aomine about it, but the tanned ace stubbornly ignored Kuroko and brushed him off in a cruel manner. And that broke their relationship apart.

Midorima did not say any words as a reply, but just gave a pat on Kuroko's shoulder. He wanted to hold Kuroko's hand, if he had to be honest with himself. But for now, this was more than enough. Being by the bluenette's side, comforting him through the most simple of gestures - this was really more than enough for him.

They stayed like that for a while. They continued sitting on the bench. No one still came in, it was still the two of them. Kuroko appreciated this moment, believing it to be friendly and caring. But Midorima appreciated it all the more. This would be special to him, forever important to him.

Even though Midorima didn't get what he wanted exactly - that being Kuroko's love - at least he could have this moment with him. And within this moment, he found some hope that they would be together someday. He held onto that hope with all he has.

On that day, he promised himself that he would always be by the bluenette's side; he would always watch over him, always help him when needed. He would do all those in his own way, making sure that Kuroko would always stay calm and happy.

And when the right time comes, he would finally have his feelings returned. He would finally get to be with the one he loves.

Maybe not today, nor tomorrow. But... soon enough.

**END**

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**A/N: Oh my! Writing this was a bit difficult. But I wish I did fine. Tell me what you think through your reviews. And _pandacchii_, I hope that you like this. :D  
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